The middle finger, long finger, or tall finger is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is usually the longest finger. It is also called the third finger, digitus medius, digitus tertius, or digitus III in anatomy.
In Western countries, extending the middle finger (either on its own, or along with the index finger in the United Kingdom) is an offensive and obscene gesture, colloquially known as "flipping the bird", "flipping someone off", or simply "giving the finger". The gesture is usually used as a form of insult to the person it is directed to.
Famous quotes containing the words middle and/or finger:
“Radicalism is the opium of the middle class.”
—Christina Stead (1902–1983)
“The stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the great everlasting things which matter for a nation—the great peaks we had forgotten, of Honour, Duty, Patriotism, and, clad in glittering white, the great pinnacle of Sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven.”
—David Lloyd George (1863–1945)